Africa Young Innovators for Health Award seeks Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions to expand access to family planning

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 03 November 2026:

Speak Up Africa and the Ouagadougou Partnership Coordination Unit (OPCU) have opened applications for the third edition of the Africa Young Innovators for Health Award. This edition invites young Africans to propose solutions that use artificial intelligence effectively and responsibly to improve access to family planning. Applications are open until 6 November 2026 at 23:59 GMT.

Across West and Central Africa young people face significant barriers to accessing quality family planning information and services, including misinformation, limited access to confidential and youth-friendly care, provider bias and restrictions linked to age or marital status. In the region, 80% of unintended pregnancies among adolescents aged 15–19 occur among those who are not using modern contraception (condoms, oral contraceptive pills, injectables, implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs).

Against this backdrop, the Ouagadougou Partnership aims to help 13 million people access and use modern contraceptive methods by 2030. Achieving this target will require increasing access to accurate information, strengthening service delivery and tailoring care towards the specific needs of young people.

Artificial intelligence can help support healthcare providers, strengthen patient referrals, and facilitate the use of data for service planning. However, the Award will seek solutions designed for African realities, particularly settings with limited connectivity, and that pay particular attention to data protection, safety, inclusion, bias, reliability of results and human oversight.

“Since its launch in 2021 with IFPMA, the Africa Young Innovators for Health Award has pursued the same ambition: to support a new generation of African innovators and equip them to transform promising ideas into practical solutions for the continent. Delivered in partnership with the Ouagadougou Partnership Coordination Unit, this edition applies that ambition to family planning by exploring the potential of artificial intelligence. Beyond the technology, the Award remains focused on supporting young people, strengthening their solutions and connecting them with the partners, decision-makers and investors who can advance their development and impact,” said Yacine Djibo, Executive Director of Speak Up Africa.

The call is open to applicants aged 18 to 35 who reside in an African country and apply through a civil society organisation or a private sector organisation. Solutions must address a clearly defined family planning need, integrate artificial intelligence in a meaningful way, and have reached at least the prototype or minimum viable product stage (MVP).

Eight finalists will have the opportunity to travel to Conakry, Guinea for an innovation hackathon to learn more about how to develop effective business plans and models, map stakeholders , prepare for a partnerships and investment, and use storytelling to pitch their solutions to decisions makers, potential private sector investors and organizers keys partners.

From 1 to 3 December 2026. Activities for finalists, including pitch training and rehearsals, mentorship clinics, bootcamps and more, will run from 30 November to 3 December.

The jury team will then select four final winners. The two first-prize winners will each receive US$15,000, while the two second-prize winners will each receive US$10,000. Winners will also benefit from a three-month mentorship programme, access to specialists in family planning, artificial intelligence and business development, as well as media training and opportunities to present their work to potential partners and investors.

“To achieve the Ouagadougou Partnership’s goal of reaching 13 million people access and use of modern contraceptive methods by 2030, we must harness the ideas and skills of young people. By giving finalists, the opportunity to present their projects at the Ouagadougou Partnership Annual Meeting and engage with decision-makers, service providers and partners, the Award gives promising solutions the visibility and support they need to grow,” said Marie Ba, Director of the Ouagadougou Partnership Coordination Unit (OPCU).

Applications must be submitted no later than 6 November 2026 at 23:59 GMT via the following link: https://apo-opa.co/4ilMcyq

About the Award

Launched in 2021, the Africa Young Innovators for Health Award identifies, supports and showcases young innovators developing solutions to the continent’s health challenges. Its third edition, jointly led by Speak Up Africa and the Ouagadougou Partnership Coordination Unit, focuses on solutions that use artificial intelligence to improve family planning in Africa.

About Speak Up Africa

Speak Up Africa is an advocacy and policy action organisation working to catalyse leadership, drive policy change and raise awareness of sustainable development in Africa. Through its platforms and networks, Speak Up Africa connects decision-makers and grassroots stakeholders to support concrete action for public health and sustainable development. For more information: www.SpeakUpAfrica.org.

About the Ouagadougou Partnership Coordination Unit

The Ouagadougou Partnership Coordination Unit (OPCU) facilitates collaboration between member countries and their partners to accelerate progress in family planning. It supports the mobilisation of regional stakeholders, the sharing of expertise and the implementation of country-defined priorities.

The Ouagadougou Partnership (OP) was launched in February 2011 at the Regional Conference on Population, Development and Family Planning: The Urgency to Act, held in Burkina Faso’s capital. It is built on government commitment, improved coordination among donors to optimise their support to countries, the accelerated implementation of high-impact interventions, and stronger collaboration and cooperation at national and regional levels to address the high level of unmet need for family planning.

The Ouagadougou Partnership comprises nine member countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

For more information, visit: https://PartenariatOuaga.org/